I'm a Fellow at the Adam Smith Institute in London, a writer here and there on this and that and strangely, one of the global experts on the metal scandium, one of the rare earths. An odd thing to be but someone does have to be such and in this flavour of our universe I am. I have written for The Times, Daily Telegraph, Express, Independent, City AM, Wall Street Journal, Philadelphia Inquirer and online for the ASI, IEA, Social Affairs Unit, Spectator, The Guardian, The Register and Techcentralstation. I've also ghosted pieces for several UK politicians in many of the UK papers, including the Daily Sport.

Nokia's Windows 8 Phone: So, Umm, That's It Hunh?

I think it is safe to say that the technology world was not amazed nor astonished by today’s announcement of Nokia‘s new Windows 8 phone line. Partly this is, of course, because we knew roughly what was coming before the announcement. It would be a new Nokia phone, or several of them, running Microsoft‘s Windows 8 for phones. So it isn’t that they could surprise us with the OS or anything. However, while there’s a great deal of dutiful reporting of what was announced there’s not very much, if any, of the ecstatic joy that accompanies the new phone releases of certain other companies.

One thing that many reports emphasise is “wireless charging”. And I have to admit that as someone living over here in Europe that seems to be a solution to yesterday’s problem. Yes, certainly, when every phone manufacturer uses a different adaptor or charger interface then the idea of going away, or even out for more than eight hours, can be discomforting. For while you’re out you might need charging but cannot find anyone with your interface. Or, worse, going off with your family and finding that your Nokia charger does not fit the wife’s iPhone one nor the three variants of Sony, Samsung and some incredible Chinese something or other that the children have. I speak from experience here you understand. In such a situation wireless charging sounds just marvellous.

Yet, over here in Europe at least, we now have one standard phone to charger connector. The EU sat everyone down and snarled at them until they agreed (the argument was that all that copper tied up in all those different adaptors was a waste of resources). Given that wherever you go that has electricity there will be someone with a charger and that charger will charge your phone, this idea of wireless charging seems like a solution to a problem we no longer have. You might still have it, to be sure, but we don’t.

The prices of the new phones, which will be available later this year, weren’t immediately available.

New sexy technology is one thing. But what is the price we must pay for it? Just as examples, it would be one thing to offer something better than an Apple iPhone at a higher price that an iPhone. A daring strategy even that would be. Offering something as good as an iPhone at $50 would be a real winner. So it’s not really possible to understand how good this offering is without knowing what the price points are going to be.

Then we get faster LCD screens, better camera software, the ability to use the screen with gloves on….and, well, maybe this is all terribly exciting to some segment of the public. Maybe it isn’t. You can most assuredly make up your own mind as to whether it is exciting to you. But the best averaging of what everybody thinks that we have is the market. In this case, the stock market in the shares of Nokia:

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I don’t think it’s safe to say that at all. In fact, the whole article is problematic to me.

1) “It’s a Nokia running Windows OS.” And the Motorola announcement is a phone running Android and the Apple announcement is an iPhone running iOS. And we’ve seen WP8, Jelly Bean, and iOS 6. Your point? It’s about the hardware and unique implementations for this device line.

2) “So it isn’t that they could surprise us with the OS or anything.” Actually, I hadn’t heard anything about the WP8 lenses or any of that. That was new info, saved for this joint announcement.

3) “Wireless Charging” It’s not about universal charging. It’s about not fumbling for charger cables at all. It’s about the potential for passive charging, especially at locations like coffee shops. It’s just marketing spin and hope right now, but it has potential.

4) Price. Does the EU have to buy phones off contract? Maybe the market is different there. I wouldn’t know. But in the US, it’s safe to assume that the price will be somewhere between $100 and $200 (probably $200 for the high-end phone). It’s a high-end subsidized phone. We know how much those cost. It’s not some huge mystery.

5) Other hardware features. Umm… way to totally skip over the camera features (one of the best things about the new phones). And the look and feel of the phone. And other things pretty much every article I’ve read (even the cautious ones) praised.

6) Market dropping. It was most likely due to the lack of a firm release date. People were hoping to finally know when WP8 is coming out, and they didn’t say. This is dumb, and the timing will really effect whether the line is successful over iPhone, especially in the short term (stocks are jumpy and short-sighted).

Oh, and this one doesn’t get a number (because you didn’t mention it), but what about the Nokia apps? City Lens, for example, is a great app, as are the Nokia camera lens apps.

Good one S. Kyle Davis. A lot of underinformed reporters are out there.. This one was desperately trying to make up a point. Compared to all the Android junkware out there, this phone is truly stunning. Even compared to iPhone, which seemed to be slowing down in innovation.

It takes class to identify innovation when one comes around. I am sure he’ll be drooling over iPhone for the slight change in dimensions it might have.. PureView, PureMotion HD+, OIS, unique styling, colors all set these handsets miles apart from other junk that we have seen so far. For yours truly contributor Tim, that is not enough.. since the name doesn’t have an “i” at the beginning.

Perhaps I should have been a little less cryptic. I am not reviewing the phone at all. I am reviewing the market’s reaction to the announcement of the phone. And a substantial fall in Nokia’s share price could indeed be described as “So, that’s it, hunh?”

Given that markets are the averaged out opinion of everyone playing in them that also seems to be the average reaction.

If you were not reviewing the phone at all why do you have wireless charging and other hardware features as category, If all you were reviewing was market’s reaction to the announcement, most of your reports seems like your take on the subject and not that of the market, could you kindly share links to where you got these market details. because I got some that praised the announcement and shared pros and cons of the phnes features, that wished Balmer did not show up at the announcement. I honestly did not read any that said Hun its that it? when now I do, from you..

Initially after reading the article I was going to write a message like Mr Davis but your reply has highlighted your intention.

I personally think Microsoft will come back to top form with Windows 8, provided they can integrate between devices, and Nokia should be able to leverage this. What they are up against are ‘in form’ companies, i.e. Samsung and Apple, who are able to converge more technology.

With Microsoft making its own tablet now I wonder if Nokia would make a good acquisition, particularly if the stock keeps falling?

I think it is a shame such a good company has lost form and I really hope they go go the way of Kodak..

Yes, but given you are in Europe you don’t realize that the US is still plagued with this problem. Our landfills are still getting these adapters and the people still need them for the phones they have. This will be just slightly better than the anticipated iPhone 5. Simply put I feel that there are some plus’s. 1) The glass that will allow you to use your phone in the Northern United States. 2) In Winter emergencies this will hold up longer and better. The battery life on this will stay going all day. These phones are a lot thinner and lighter than the proposed iPhone 5. Even the near field communications that are in then Nokia Lumia 920 or 820 just like the iPhone 5. Finally, Windows 8 & Phone 8 by a year of experience in development with this software from the app developer stand point guides me to believe people will love Windows 8 & Phone 8. It boots quicker, is easier to understand, and will work through SKY drive on your Windows 7 or 8 PC. Also Microsoft makes getting going a lot easier and backup is seamless.